


Sir Sorey and the River Dragon

by treya_barton



Category: Tales of Zestiria
Genre: Alternate Universe - Dragons, Alternate Universe - Medieval, Gen, Sormik Big Bang 2019
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-17
Updated: 2019-11-17
Packaged: 2021-02-08 04:28:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,626
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21470065
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/treya_barton/pseuds/treya_barton
Summary: Sir Sorey is a curious, gentle knight from the kingdom of Ladylake ruled by a fair and beautiful Queen.  One day she is approached by a village with news that they are being plagued by a dragon that is blocking their access to a river they use for trade.  Sir Sorey is sent on a quest to investigate this dragon in order to resolve the villager's dilemma.I wrote this story for the SorMik Big Bang 2019 and will be attaching a link to my partnerKishi'slovely art for the fic once it's finished - look forward to it!I have updated the story with the very lovely art by Kishi and will be linking her post soon!
Relationships: Mikleo & Sorey (Tales of Zestiria)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 37
Collections: Sormik Big Bang 2019





	Sir Sorey and the River Dragon

There once was a prosperous kingdom ruled by a fair and benevolent queen. Queen Lailah was renowned for her sound judgment and for the chivalrous knights she hand-selected to serve her and Ladylake. Anytime the queen was choosing a new knight, she would present the lord or lady with a custom-made sword designating their new rank and importance to the realm. Her knights were dispatched far and wide, taking care of matters of the state on her behalf or defending her royal subjects from those that would do them harm. Every day Queen Lailah would listen to the worries and concerns of her people before deciding upon a course of action to resolve it. On that day, the queen was holding such a session, listening to the leader of a village north of Ladylake who came to her with complaints about a dragon. He described the dragon as ferocious with a long, lithe body and glistening blue and white scales and stated he attacked anyone who came close to the river which they needed to cross in order to reach a nearby village for trade. The queen listened closely, allowing her subject to finish speaking before she replied.

“Does the dragon also attack the other village when they attempt to cross?” she curiously asked, and the man shook his head.

“I do not know, Your Majesty. We have not gotten word from them since the dragon appeared several days ago. We were hoping he would move on before it became an issue, but we rely on goods from the other village and we are starting to run low on supplies,” he explained.

“We certainly do not want you to suffer,” the queen gently replied, before pondering his words. She had to come up with the right solution to ensure the village problem was taken care of successfully. Suddenly, an idea crossed her mind, and a warm smile graced her face, causing the village leader to stare in wonder. “I know just the thing. Fear not, I will send a noble knight to the village to take care of the problem.” The queen’s eyes sparkled, and the village leader could not help but feel comforted by her words.

“Thank you, Your Majesty,” he said with a deep bow before making his way out of the throne room. Since he was her last appointment for the day, once he left the room Queen Lailah jumped up with energy in her step. 

“Send for Sir Sorey,” she called out to one of her servants before making her way to her study to wait for him. It didn’t take long for the young knight to arrive, and Queen Lailah could not help but smile at his disheveled appearance. Sorey’s hair was adorably messy, no doubt from thoughtlessly running his hands through his hair as he studied some tome on archeology from her library. He also had ink stains on his hands and smudges on his face from where he had obviously been resting his head on his hand as he read. He had a bright smile as he greeted her, and Lailah could not help but feel her heart melt a little at his entrance. She had a soft spot for this particular knight, who was the most honest and pure of the ones she had ordained. He had a genuine love for people and creatures, and unlike many of the knights he came from a humble background. He had been selected due to his bravery in protecting his village from some bandits, holding them off until her very first knight Sir Zaveid came to his aide. Zaveid had taken him in as his page boy and had taught him how to read and write, and once he was old enough Queen Lailah had been more than happy to accept him into the ranks of knighthood.

There was something about the villager head’s story that did not sit well with the queen, which is why she had selected Sir Sorey for the task. She knew that the young man did not tend to jump to conclusions, and that he also did not judge creatures by their outward appearance. She knew that he would handle the situation appropriately. “I have a task for you,” she explained, eyes softening when she saw the look of excitement cross his face. “There is a village to the north that has reported that they are having issues with a dragon.”

“A dragon?” Sorey gasped. Dragons were very rare in their kingdom and most sightings had been from a distance. Sorey had only ever heard tales of the magnificent beasts. He had a fascination with them due to their longevity and felt they could teach humanity a lot about their history. His green eyes sparkled with wonder, and the queen knew she had made the right decision. 

“The villagers say that the dragon is vicious and has been attacking anyone who tries to cross the river. I want you to find out the truth and find a way to resolve the situation,” she explained. Sorey almost didn’t seem to hear her, for he was already caught up in his excitement for the task at hand. “Sir Sorey?”

“Ah, of course, Your Majesty,” Sorey said with a quick bow and the queen couldn’t help but let out a giggle.

“I look forward to hearing your results,” she said, waving as Sorey bowed again before bounding out the door. Queen Lailah could not wait to hear back from the knight about his experiences with the dragon, and whether or not her hunch on the matter was correct. 

Sorey, meanwhile, was already focused on what he would need to pack while simultaneously daydreaming over what it would be like to actually meet a dragon. He excitedly rushed into the room he stayed in at the palace and rifled through his wardrobe for his armor and traveling garb. Most knights had servants to take care of packing for them, but since Sorey was recently ordained and from a common family, he relied on the help from the castle staff when he needed it and often took care of everything himself just as he had growing up and when he had worked for Sir Zaveid. Sorey changed into his chainmail before pulling a blue tunic over it along with a white cloak embroidered with a blue design that was a symbol of his knighthood. He was a spectacle with his disheveled hair and feathers dangling from his ears – most people did not believe he was a knight until they saw the sword given to him from the queen. It never bothered Sorey who was just as content to explore the ruins scattered throughout the kingdom as he was to be sent on a quest, although he had to admit a quest that involved a dragon was just as interesting as any of the ruins he had visited.

Sorey began throwing items in a bag, some of which were necessary for travel, others of which were only deemed necessary by him. One was a well-worn book entitled the _Celestial Record_ which was the book that got Sorey interested in ruins and exploring when Zaveid taught him how to read. Although Sorey had read it front to back many times, he still brought it with him everywhere in case he stumbled upon one of the places mentioned in the book. He wasn’t expecting to find anything around the village he would be traveling to, but that never stopped him from bringing it along. He then dashed out of the room and headed down to the kitchens to pick up the pack of provisions he knew the queen would have prepared for his journey. “You be careful out there,” the cook warned, and Sorey flashed her a grin as he grabbed his food pack and tied it onto his bag.

“I have never met a dragon before,” he eagerly said, and the cook sighed before shaking her head.

“Only you would be excited over that,” she said in exasperation. Sorey waved before heading outside, map in hand as he headed to the stables. His horse, a pinto brown and white mare, was already saddled by the stableman and ready to go. She, like her knight, was generally very gentle and mild-mannered, but she was fiercely protective of him and always loyally stayed by him no matter what he encountered.

“Ready to go on an adventure?” he asked her, and she gently whinnied before nosing at his hand for a treat. He slipped her a carrot from his pack – a gift from the cook – and she accepted the present willingly. Sorey laughed before running his hand along her neck and making his inspection of her saddle and bridle, ensuring everything was properly fastened before mounting. He then pulled out the map, making a few calculations based on his current location, the time of day, and where he was going before deciding he should would stop in the town a few hours north of the castle before heading to the village the next day. 

Sorey enjoyed a peaceful ride, for this close to the capitol there was very low crime due to the castle troops and knights that frequented the area. He used the time to daydream about the dragon, wondering how magnificent it would look in person, and whether or not it would give him a chance to talk to it. Sorey honestly wasn’t worried or scared and fighting the dragon was the last thing on his mind. Although the creatures had a fierce reputation, he knew that most of it was due to the fact there were so few left and that they typically were very careful, secretive creatures in order to protect themselves. He knew they had a lot to share due to the longevity of their lives and he couldn’t help but think about all of the different archaeological theories he had of places he had been and whether or not the dragon would be able to put to rest whether or not they were right. His eyes sparkled in anticipation as he considered all of the possibilities, with the question of ‘Why is the dragon terrorizing the villagers anyway?’ a distant thought in his head.

After a solid night’s sleep at the inn in the town that was midway between the castle and the village he was traveling to, Sorey headed out on the final leg of his trip. He had to be a little more vigilant out here since the further he traveled from the castle, the more likely he was to encounter a wild beast or bandit, but Sorey wasn’t worried. Such dangers had never scared him, even as a child, and now Sorey had the training to back up his confidence. 

As the young knight drew closer to the village, he began to pick up on an odious scent that made his nose wrinkle involuntarily. Eventually, the smell grew so strong that he couldn’t help but tug on his tunic and lift it up to cover his nose and mouth. His horse was also growing antsy as the odor grew stronger, and Sorey had to urge her to move forward. Sorey’s eyes were watering and he coughed, causing him to take a deep gulp of the stench which made him gag. ‘What _is_ this?’ he wondered. He had never heard of a dragon causing such a stench before and couldn’t imagine what could be causing it. Unfortunately, he had a job to do, so Sorey fought his instincts and continued forward to the village. 

Once he arrived, he was immediately able to identify the source of the smell. Sorey stared out in dismay as he came to the edge of the village and noticed that it was covered in refuse. It appeared instead of disposing of their waste properly, the villagers just dumped it out in the street, which was causing the overwhelming stench. “Ah, you must be the knight sent over by the Queen,” an elderly man called. Sorey figured he was probably the village leader who had gone to Queen Lailah for help.

Sorey dismounted from his horse and led her toward the village leader while gently running his hand along her neck to keep her calm. Now that he was unable to cover his mouth and nose, the smell was making him feel light headed. “What is going on here?” Sorey asked, completely bewildered. He was so surprised by the state of the village that the dragon had completely slipped his mind.

The village leader looked a bit embarrassed. “Well, you see, with us unable to reach the river, we have also been unable to properly dispose of our waste,” he explained. “It is another reason why it was so urgent to have someone come and dispose of it.”

Sorey found it strange that the village leader would not have mentioned that to the Queen during his visit, and he also had to wonder why they could not have found another place to transfer their waste if their main location was blocked by the dragon. Something seemed off, but he was too distracted by the state of the village to think much of it. The surroundings reminded him a lot of the village he had grown up in, only his had been very clean and well cared for. “Why not find another place to dispose of it?” he asked. “I can help with that. Where I come from originally, we had a very good system in place.” Sorey looked enthusiastic about the idea, and the village leader was taken aback.

“I certainly appreciate the offer,” he said slowly. “But before that we have the other issue of the dragon that I hope you will take care of.” Sorey had a light blush cross his face, and he felt flustered that he had let his actual quest slip from his mind.

“Of course,” he replied. “Where am I to stay while I handle it?” Sorey was led to the village leader’s home since the village did not have an inn for him to stay at. After Sorey personally took care of his horse and stabled her, he enquired about the direction of the river where the dragon was located before deciding to go and scout it out while there was still daylight. The young knight couldn’t help but feel relieved as the stench faded away the further he grew from the village. ‘I do not see how they can live like that,’ he frowned. It was almost as if the village people had been smelling it for so long they were now indifferent to it. Sorey wondered how long the dragon had been there for the village to be in such a state already, and why the village had not reached out for help sooner. Sorey’s thoughts were interrupted by a subtle pinprick on the back of his neck, and he paused before looking around the forest. It was late afternoon, and a hazy glow was cast around the forest which was causing a dappling effect on the ground from where the sunlight was blocked by the leaves overhead. Sorey suddenly realized how quiet it was, and how he did not hear any sound of forest animals, birds, or bugs moving about or making any other sound.

‘I wonder if I am getting close,’ he pondered, speculating that the wildlife was scared of getting too close to the dragon. He did hear a distant sound that could be flowing water, and he began to move again, although this time he was much more cautious. Sorey may not be easily scared, but he had learned over the years that it was good to be cautious. Sorey had natural instincts and had been trained by Zaveid on how to hone them; Zaveid himself seemed able to pick up on any changes in the air, and while Sorey wasn’t quite that good, he still was very sharp. He found that he was indeed close to the river, and he began to pick up on that telltale scent of garbage that he had experienced back at the village although it wasn’t as strong. He looked around in confusion, figuring he must be close to the area where the village dumped their waste, although he couldn’t imagine them doing it so close to the river since it could easily poison the water. It wasn’t until Sorey stepped into the clearing along the riverbank that the mystery was solved, although he was too distracted at first to notice, because Sorey, for the first time in his life, had finally seen a dragon.

The dragon was quite unlike anything Sorey had imagined based on the tales he had heard growing up. Instead of a large, scaly beast with leathery wings, it was long and elegant, almost snakelike except for the fact it had taloned legs, a glorious pale mane along its head and back, magnificent curved horns, and long whiskers trailing from its snout. The dragon’s aquamarine scales glistened in the sunlight, appearing almost like the rippling water of the river behind it. And the dragon had gorgeous amethyst eyes that were currently trained directly on him. Sorey stepped forward, so taken in by how breathtaking the dragon was, that he completely forgot the fact the dragon had been terrorizing the villagers. Until the dragon let out a low, menacing growl that is. Sorey’s brain finally caught up with his excitement, and he remembered why he was there. The smell he had been picking up seemed stronger now that he was next to the river, and it only took him a moment to pinpoint why. Behind the dragon, the river on initial glance looked pristine, but Sorey began to realize that it was actually partially dammed up by waste from the villagers. His eyes widened in surprise, and Sorey finally pieced together all of the oddities he had been picking up since arriving at the village. Although it may be true the villagers crossed the river to trade with another town, he quickly realized the real reason they wanted access to the river is because they had been using it to dump their waste.

A cold fury bubbled inside the normally cheery knight, and his warm gaze grew hard as he took in the results of the careless actions of the townspeople. He almost turned around, suddenly intent on giving them a piece of his mind, but he soon realized that he couldn’t pull his gaze away from the river. It pained him to leave it in such a condition, and he thoughtlessly took a few steps forward until he heard the low growl from the dragon transform itself into a more menacing snarl. Sorey paused and returned his gaze back to the dragon, eyeing it thoughtfully as he considered his options. Sorey was far more interested in studying the dragon than he was in fighting it, and if he was honest now that he had seen the state of the river, he was fully on the dragon’s side. He found it odd that the dragon would be protecting a river from being trashed by the village, since from his knowledge on the lore they tended to like valuables, but based on the evidence before him that was the only conclusion he could draw. Also, while the dragon scared off villagers from coming to the river, it had not attacked the village outright which was another thing they were known for. 

Sorey’s eyebrows crinkled as he pieced together the information he had observed so far, before coming to a decision. Sorey shrugged off his bag and pulled his sheathed sword from his belt before setting both on the ground. He then proceeded to pull out his remaining weapons – daggers and long knives hidden in his clothes and armor – and set them aside as well to prove to the dragon that he was defenseless. The dragon watched him warily, but it stopped making growling noises. Sorey then began to slowly walk toward the river, being careful to give the dragon a wide berth as he did so, and was relieved when this time the dragon seemed interested in what he was going to do and refrained from acting aggressively toward him. Sorey couldn’t help but feel relieved that his hunch about the dragon was correct, for he had taken a big gamble by stripping himself of his weapons. He figured it also helped that he obviously didn’t have anything to dump in the river.

Sorey stepped up to the bank of the river, slipping slightly on the slick river stones while he observed the damage the village had caused so far. He figured most of the waste was probably carried downstream, but due to the outcropping of rocks in this particular section of the river a lot of the waste had been trapped and was causing the river to become blocked. There was one outcropping that jutted out and caused a small waterfall of fresh water from upstream to fall into the water, but he could tell the water trapped below was murkier than the clear water coming from above. There was also the smell coming from the rotting waste that had been trapped there that was again causing Sorey to wrinkle his nose.

Sorey put his hands on his hips as he surveyed the damage, before glancing up at the location of the sun overhead. It would probably be getting dark in around 2 hours, but that still gave him some time. Sorey nodded to himself before moving back to his bag and pulling out a set of gloves he used when hunting; he didn’t want to ruin his riding gloves and these were thicker and would better protect his hands. He then strode back toward the river, this time moving much quicker due to how focused he was, and moved to one of the larger forms of trash in the river. Sorey saw old farming tools, broken cookware, along with the food and animal waste, and knew that to get things cleaned up he’d have to start by removing some of the larger objects. He would also have to find a spot to form a trash and compost pit later to move them to, already planning on how he would be forcing the villagers to change their ways and comply with the techniques his village had used. 

While Sorey got to work, carefully pulling out rusted tools and equipment, he felt the dragon’s eyes on him and did his best not to let it distract him. He had so many things he wanted to say to the dragon, with the first being an apology for the state of the river, but he didn’t know where to start and honestly wasn’t sure if the dragon would be able to understand him. In the lore some understood human language, but he could never be sure how accurate that was. So, instead, he tried his best to push the dragon from his mind and fell into a methodical pace, carefully pulling pieces out and stashing them high on the riverbank away from the river until he could figure out where to move them later. The work was difficult, especially since many of the pieces were jammed underneath each other or tangled together, but Sorey pushed through, continuing on even as the sun began to set on the horizon. In fact, he probably would have continued moving forward even as night fell due to how focused he was, but he was interrupted by a gentle nudge on the center of his back.

Sorey quickly turned, and was surprised to see that the dragon was standing behind him, its head directly in front of him from where it had just used its snout to nudge him. Sorey felt a blush cross his face, for up close he could tell how gorgeous the shade of the dragon’s eyes were as they stared at him intently. Sorey wiped at the sweat dripping down his face, and suddenly realized how cold he felt. The temperature dropped at night this far north and his sweat and water-soaked clothes were not forming any protection against the damp chill. Sorey shivered, and was surprised when the dragon suddenly leaned a little closer and let out a warm breath that gave him temporary protection against the cold and stopped his shivering. “Thank you,” Sorey said with a smile, and he reached out to touch the dragon’s snout, only hesitating when he noticed the dragon flinch back. “Oh…sorry,” Sorey said, quickly pulling his hand back. He then stepped past the dragon and back to his pack where he had a spare set of clothes to change into. Sorey pulled off his tunic and breeches and also pulled off his chainmail, figuring at this point he and the dragon had some sort of understanding and with it around he would probably be safe from any other creatures in the surrounding woods. 

He felt the dragon still watching him as he changed, and he couldn’t help but feel a little embarrassed, even though it was a dragon after all and it wasn’t like it mattered. Once Sorey had fully changed, feeling much warmer in his fresh clothes, he considered his options. It was pretty dark which would make getting back to the village dangerous. He had some provisions and a sleeping roll packed in his bag which meant he could probably just sleep out here for the night. Based on the weather conditions throughout the day, he highly doubted they would be experiencing any rain that night. Sorey tilted his head while looking thoughtfully at the dragon, wondering what it would think. The dragon was still protectively curled up next to the river and hadn’t followed him over when he had gone to change. It wasn’t even looking at him now and had instead closed its eyes like it was resting. Sorey shrugged, again deciding to throw all caution to the wind, and went to grab some kindle and wood to make a fire. He then picked a dry part of the embankment and used some of the river stones put together a makeshift fire pit before building a fire in order to keep him warm overnight. Once he was done, he lay out his clothes near it to allow them to dry before pulling out his provisions for a light supper. He then took out his bedroll and used his bag as a pillow before gazing up at the starlit night sky that was only partially blocked here by the trees at the edge of the embankment. It was odd not hearing the nightlife he was used to hearing when he camped outside at night, but it was somehow also kind of peaceful lying next to the crackling fire with only a gentle breeze causing the leaves to rustle above him for background noise.

That night, Sorey had a strange, yet peaceful dream. He was at the river embankment, and it was clear of any waste and reflecting the light of the night sky above. Next to the river, instead of a dragon there was a beautiful man with long, flowing hair that reminded Sorey of the dragon’s mane, and a tunic and cloak the same color as the dragon’s scales. The man was looking at the river with his back to him, and Sorey was suddenly overcome with the urge to get a closer look, curious as to what the man’s face would look like. Sorey felt himself step forward, and as he did the man suddenly turned and tilted his head curiously at him. Sorey was taken aback by how gorgeous the man looked, with amethyst eyes widened slightly in surprise and his white, aqua hair tumbling around his shoulders. 

Sorey opened up his mouth to greet him, but before he could he was startled awake. Next to him, the fire had gone out, which had caused him to feel a bit chilly even under his bedroll, and he could see based on the slight change in color on the horizon that it was getting closer to sunrise. Sorey looked over at where the dragon was lying down, half expecting to see the man from his dreams, and feeling a little disappointed when he realized it was still the dragon. It was watching him silently again, and Sorey slapped at his cheeks to wake himself up. Being able to meet a dragon was a great opportunity after all, and once Sorey completed his quest maybe he would have a chance to try to study it a little. Sorey quickly ate some more of his provisions for breakfast, before switching back into his now dry clothes from the day before; he didn’t want to sully his fresh clothes. He then stretched before looking back at the river, a look of determination in his eyes. He would finish with his cleanup before going back to the village to address the dumping issue and come up with a plan on how to fix their waste problem. Sorey nodded to himself, a determined gleam in his eye as he made up his mind, before getting back to work.

Sorey worked steadily, continuing to focus on larger items blocking the river and slowly loosening the dam of trash that had been building up due to the villagers. He was in the middle of fighting with a particularly large, rusted misshapen piece of iron, sweat running down his back as he tugged on it with all of his strength, when he was surprised to feel another nudge at his back again and a low, yet gentle voice say, “Let me.”

Sorey’s turned his head to look at the dragon, wondering if he had hallucinated the whole thing, and noted that it was motioning its head like it wanted him to step aside. The knight moved out of the dragon’s way and watched as it opened its jaw, revealing a set of sharp, glistening teeth before using it to grab the piece of iron Sorey had been struggling with. Then, with a single tug, the dragon pulled it out along with several other pieces of trash that had been wrapped around it and making it difficult for Sorey to pull out. Sorey was awed by the dragon’s great strength, and watched in surprise as the dragon lithely moved to the trash pile Sorey had made near the embankment and gently set the twisted pieces of metal on it. It then returned back to Sorey’s side, before lowering its head down to eye level with the young man.

“Why?” the dragon spoke again, its warm breath tickling Sorey’s face. The knight was surprised to realize that it didn’t smell like animal breath typically would, nor did it smell like fire. Instead it was clean and light like a breeze over fresh water.

“Why…what?” Sorey asked in confusion. The dragon didn’t respond, and Sorey wondered if speaking the human tongue was difficult for it. “Why…am I doing this?” Sorey asked, and the dragon lifted its head as if nodding to let him know he was correct. Sorey was floored that he was getting the opportunity to speak to the dragon, and that it did in fact seem to understand him. “It pains me to see the river in such a condition. I cannot believe the villagers were thoughtlessly polluting it like this,” Sorey explained, taking the time to catch a breather. Although he was in great shape and used to training in combat even on his days off, this kind of manual labor was still a strain on his muscles. “Once I’m done clearing up this mess I am going to have a long talk with them about proper waste disposal.”

The dragon listened silently and watched him, and Sorey flushed lightly under its intense gaze. “I think it is very kind of you to guard the river. You could have easily gone to attack the village, but instead you just stopped them from causing more harm. You rather gentle, aren’t you?” Sorey asked curiously, and the dragon let out a low growl in reply as if offended by his words. Sorey couldn’t help but let out a laugh, doubling over for a moment over the image of the dragon reacting grumpily to his praise, which caused him to miss the fact the dragon’s eyes had widened and the growling had stopped at the sight.

“Thank you for helping me with that piece. I’m sure rusted iron didn’t taste that great,” Sorey added. His interaction with the dragon seemed to have fired him up, for he soon threw himself back to work with renewed enthusiasm. The dragon continued to watch, and by the time it reached afternoon the knight had made a big dent in the dam of trash. The water was flowing much better now and the mired pool that had formed had mostly washed away. There was still some trash beneath the surface jammed in the river stones, but it no longer was as readily visible. Sorey was yet again soaked, and had started to slow down, finally worn out from the heavy labor. His movements were halted by the dragon, which choose to gently tug on his tunic with its teeth, surprising him by dragging him out of the river.

“I’m not finished yet!” Sorey complained as the dragon lifted him up and set him down next to his supplies, before nudging his food pack toward him. It then waited, watching him intently again, and Sorey couldn’t help but smile sheepishly. “I suppose you’re telling me to eat,” he replied, and again the dragon lifted its head in a nod. Sorey dug through his pack, pulling out some provisions while looking at the dragon thoughtfully. It occurred to him he hadn’t seen the dragon eat yet.

“Will you eat too?” he asked curiously, and the dragon tossed its head as if to say no. “Surely dragons must need to eat,” Sorey muttered to himself, before pulling out a piece of dried meat. He lifted it up to the dragon, who seemed to look at him in bemusement. It nudged his hand back toward him, as if to say, ‘You eat it’ and lay down next to him before closing its eyes. It stretched its lithe body out in the sun like a cat sunbathing, and Sorey tugged off his wet tunic and lay it out to dry before eating some of the food. His muscles were aching, but it felt good to know he was making a difference.

“I have so many questions for you,” Sorey said to the dragon. It opened up one eye to lazily look at him, and Sorey tilted his head. “I wish you could speak more. I would love to know more about your history and the world you’ve seen over the years.” The dragon closed its eye again, and Sorey stretched back before looking up at the sun in the sky. He glanced back at the river before making a decision.

“It’s probably time I go and speak to the villagers about what they have done,” Sorey said with a sigh. He stood up and stretched, unaware of the fact the dragon’s gaze was on him again and studying his form. Sorey had a sturdy build and was strong from his years of labor and later training as a knight, and he had some light scars across his body from the beating he took when he defended his village as a boy along with different scrapes he had gotten into during training and quests he had been on. Sorey changed back into his fresh clothes and chainmail before carefully packing everything back into his bag and re-arming himself. He then turned to face the dragon.

“I am going to ask them to come here to help move these items to a new location and finish with the clean-up. I will make sure they change their dumping habits so this won’t happen again,” he told the dragon. His eyes were honest and determined. “You may want to move to the other side of the river so you don’t intimidate them so much,” he said, holding his chin thoughtfully with his other arm crossed as regarded the dragon. “But that is up to you.” He then smiled and waved at the dragon before making his way back to the village to make good on his word.

Sorey had a bit of a difficult time making his case to the village leader, especially since he had not disposed of the dragon in the way he wanted, but since Sorey was a knight he had certain authority by the crown and was able to get the villagers on board. After speaking with the village council, they were able to help him pick a spot to set up for trash disposal, and a group of men were selected to work on getting the pit dug. Another group of villagers were on clean up duty and were tasked with moving the current waste to a temporary location until it could be permanently buried. The last group followed Sorey back to the river to help finish with the cleanup there and move the river trash to another temporary area until it could be permanently disposed of. Sorey led the way on his horse this time, since the villagers were pulling carts to load with the trash, and when he arrived at the river he was a little disappointed to see that it was devoid of the dragon. The villagers looked relieved, and they soon were split into two groups with one cleaning up the remaining debris from the river and the other moving the pile of trash to the carts. Sorey helped with the latter since it was the heavier load, and with everyone working together they were able to get the cars loaded up by nightfall.

As the villagers started to head back to town, Sorey was torn between sleeping in a soft bed with a warm meal and hopefully without the overwhelming stench that had sunk into the town, and staying by the river to see if the dragon would return once the villagers were gone. He ended up deciding to stay, and after tending to his horse he once again built up a fire in the fire pit he had created the night before and eating the last of his rations. He would have to pick some up in the village on his way back to the castle. Once Sorey was finished eating, he pulled out his sleeping roll and pulled out the _Celestial Record_, deciding to reread some of his favorite passages before bed. He was so engrossed in reading that he did not notice the dragon’s return until he heard the nervous whinny of his horse. Sorey glanced up from his book and smiled once he saw the dragon curled up nearby him, eyes gazing at him intently yet again.

“You’re back!” Sorey said in excitement. He started to pull out of his bedroll and immediately regretted it as the cool night air hit his skin, causing him to shiver.

“You should stay in your bed,” the dragon replied, and Sorey noted that its voice sounded softer and less gruff than it had earlier. It was also speaking more smoothly.

Sorey’s eyes widened. “Your speech!”

“It has returned now that the water is purified,” the dragon explained. Sorey realized that he quite liked the dragon’s voice, which had a soothing effect on him.

“Is that why you were protecting the river?” Sorey asked curiously, and the dragon nodded. “So, does this mean you’ll be able to answer my questions now?” Sorey’s eyes were shining brightly as they reflected the light from the fire, and the dragon regarded him thoughtfully.

“Tonight you should sleep,” the dragon replied, and Sorey looked deflated at its response. He didn’t want to waste a precious moment with the dragon, especially since he would probably be leaving soon now that the trash problem had been resolved for the town. However, he would probably have some time in the morning, as long as the dragon stuck around that is.

“Will you still be here when I wake up?” Sorey asked tentatively, giving the dragon a hopeful look, and the ancient beast surprised him with a short laugh that enveloped the knight like a warm blanket, warming him more than the bedroll or fire.

“I will,” the dragon promised. “Now, rest. You had a long day.”

Sorey did feel rather tired, and he knew sleep would do wonders for his aching muscles. He closed his book and carefully slid it into his bag before adjusting it to use as his pillow again. He then snuggled back under the covers and was soon fast asleep with the dragon’s amethyst eyes lightly glowing in the moonlight as his protection. That night, Sorey yet again dreamed of the ethereal man, only this time he was standing waist deep in the clear water, his long hair cascading around him with the tips of the soft strands floating on the water, almost looking like a silent waterfall. Sorey yet again felt drawn to the man, and in his dream he got up from where he was laying next to the fire and began walking toward the river, grimacing when his bare feet melt the frigid water. The sound of his footsteps as he began wading into the river caught the unknown man’s attention, and he whirled around to face Sorey, much closer this time than he had been in the dream the night before. His amethyst eyes stared Sorey down, and the young knight suddenly realized what they reminded him of. “Dragon?” Sorey asked in confusion, and just like that he woke with a start.

It was still dark out, but Sorey could tell that sunrise wasn’t far off. His fire had been reduced to embers but was still keeping him warm, and the sky appeared to be cloudy for he couldn’t see the moon or any stars. Sorey rubbed the sleep out of his eyes before looking for the dragon, and as his eyes adjusted to the dark he finally saw the dragon standing in the river, just as the man had been in his dream. Sorey stretched before getting out of bed, immediately regretting it as he was hit with the crisp early morning air. He pulled on his boots before walking toward the river, stopping just at the edge of the shore as he took in the dragon’s lithe body. It seemed at home in the water, and Sorey noted that the way the water rippled around the dragon from the current was very similar to its long and curving body. Sorey took a step into the river, walking carefully on the slick river stones as he made his way closer to the dragon. Sorey figured it knew he was there, but it seemed intent on ignoring him and had its eyes closed almost as if it were meditating.

Sorey wade out until he was standing in front of the dragon, shivering in the chill water while he stared at the magnificent beast, suddenly hit by how much larger it was than him. The dragon’s eyes slowly slid open before looking at him, its gaze soft instead of sharp as it had been the first time they met, and Sorey slowly reached out with one hand to touch its head. Instead of pulling away, the dragon nuzzled against his palm, and Sorey carefully reached up with his other hand, almost seeming to clutch part of the dragon’s jaw while feeling the soft fur that grew around its neck. He then closed his eyes and leaned forward, pressing his forehead against the dragon, surprised by how smooth and warm its scales were. His mind, which had been full of the thousands of questions he wanted to ask the dragon, was momentarily silent and clear, and just as Sorey had gathered his thoughts together and decided on his first question, the dragon pulled away and there was a sudden sound like a large bubble popping before Sorey was suddenly splashed with water, drenching him and sapping any warmth he had left in his body. His eyes flew open and he stared in amazement, for in place of the dragon was the gorgeous man he had been seeing in his dreams.

[](https://www.flickr.com/photos/26256737@N06/49119561946/in/photostream/)

“Dragon?” he asked hesitantly, and the man laughed, the same warm laugh Sorey had heard from the dragon the night before.

“My name is Mikleo,” the man spoke, before holding out his hand. Sorey clasped it and was surprised when he immediately felt dry, except for of course where he was still standing in the river. Warmth spread over his limbs, and he was no longer able to fill the chill of the river.

“That’s what I was just about to ask you,” Sorey replied in amusement, before reluctantly releasing the man’s hand. “My name is Sorey. I am a knight from Ladylake and serve Queen Lailah.”

“She is a mysterious woman,” Mikleo spoke, mainly to himself, before tilting his head at Sorey. “You said you had a lot of things you wanted to ask me?”

“Even more now,” Sorey said with a laugh. “Won’t you join me by the fire?”

The two men ended up sitting side by side as Sorey, true to his word, began to barrage Mikleo with a series of questions, which the man patiently answered. Sorey soon learned that Mikleo wasn’t a dragon and was actually a river spirit, specifically for the river they were sitting next to. Dragons were not a naturally occurring phenomenon, and were actually created when the object the spirit inhabited became tainted or destroyed, usually by human hands. At first, they would maintain some control over themselves, which is why Mikleo had refrained from hurting anyone beyond scaring them if they got too close to the river. And it was also why he regained the ability to speak as Sorey had started to clear it of the trash and debris from the village. Sorey continued to ask questions well past sunrise and throughout the morning, but he was finally stopped by the other man. “I have heard your belly growl three times now – you need to gain sustenance,” Mikleo said with a bemused smile.

Sorey suddenly felt the gnawing hunger pains as it was brought to his attention and grimaced. “But I still have so many questions. I have not even delved into the historical ones…” he pouted, and Mikleo was unable to hide his fond smile.

“I have plenty of time to answer them after you eat,” he pointed out, and Sorey sighed.

“I am the one who does not have time. When I return to the village I will be picking up supplies for the return journey. I am sure there is already another quest lined up for me,” he admitted, looking down. “It is too bad you’re stuck here at the river…”

“What makes you think that?” Mikleo asked curiously, and Sorey looked up at him.

“What do you mean?” he asked.

“I am not tied to the river. In fact, I had been off traveling and visiting ruins farther north when I felt myself begin to transform into the dragon. I returned here to figure out what was going on,” Mikleo explained. “Apparently in my absence the town had started to overflow with waste and decided to start dumping it into the river which is why you saw the state I was in earlier.”

“Then…!” Sorey started to say, before cutting himself off. He barely knew the river spirit after all and he was sure someone as ancient as he was would be little interested in a human such as himself. Sorey bit his lip, feeling dejected, while Mikleo watched him with interest.

“Then?” he asked gently.

Sorey clasped his fingers in his lap. “Then…why not come with me?” he asked. He then thought for a moment before pulling out his book. “I also enjoy visiting ruins, and seek them out on my quests using this book as my guide. Maybe you can help me find them, especially if it is one you’ve been to before?” he asked, trying not to get his hopes up too much. It was rather difficult since Sorey tended to have an excitable nature, especially when it was a topic that held his interest. “I also want to learn more about your perspective when it comes to history – I just find it all so fascinating!”

Mikleo seemed surprised by the offer, and Sorey watched with bated breath as he considered his words. “You truly want me to journey with you?” the river spirit asked, and Sorey nodded enthusiastically.

“I would love it if you joined me,” he said. “We can both fit on my horse for the return trip, and I’m sure Queen Lailah won’t mind letting you borrow one from the royal stables on our travels…” Sorey realized he was getting ahead of himself and sheepishly quieted.

Mikleo nodded his head, obviously coming up with his decision, before saying, “I will go with you. It is rare to find one who shares my same interests and it will be interesting to see your perspective of history from your studies. It has been awhile since I traveled with another,” he mused.

Sorey jumped up in excitement. “Really?!” he asked, and Mikleo nodded his head before standing far more gracefully.

Sorey suddenly pulled Mikleo into his arms, overcome with glee that the river spirit had actually agreed, before saying, “I cannot wait for us to begin our journey!” He then pulled back, not noticing Mikleo’s surprised, reddened face, for he was too focused on the path ahead. He clasped Mikleo’s hand before tugging him over to his horse, letting go to set up her saddle and to make sure she was all set for the trip back to the village. Mikleo silently watched him work, feeling a strange stirring in his chest as he observed the odd human, remembering clearly how he had looked when he had stepped out of the woods with his disheveled hair and honest eyes that had stared at him in wonder instead of fear as it had with the villagers. He had been able to tell from his aura that he was gentle at heart, although the way his eyes had flashed furiously upon seeing the state of the river he knew that the young knight also had a strong sense of justice and was certainly not a pushover. The young man had fascinated him upon first glance, and continued to do so in every interaction. The decision to travel with him had taken very little thought if he was being honest with himself.

Mikleo’s thoughts were interrupted as a hand suddenly blocked his view, and he looked up to see that Sorey had already mounted the horse and was offering him his hand to help give him a boost up. Mikleo clasped it tightly, smiling inwardly at the knight’s strong, yet warm grip, before leveraging’s Sorey’s pull to mount behind him, resting his arms securely around the knight’s waist as he adjusted to being on a horse again. It had been a long time since he had traveled this way since he normally walked on his trips away from the river. “Ready?” Sorey asked, his voice bright and eager, and Mikleo nodded before realizing that with the young man facing away he would be unable to see it.

“Ready,” he agreed, and they started off on their first adventure together.


End file.
